Dean Phillips Vermonte Speaks at Roundtable Hosted by ANU, Australia

Canberra, Australia — Phillips Vermonte, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Social (FOSS) at UIII and former Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), was a featured speaker at a roundtable hosted by the National Security College (NSC) at Australian National University (ANU) on September 12, 2024. The event brought together leading Indonesian policy experts to discuss regional strategic challenges and the future of Indonesia’s foreign policy under the incoming Prabowo administration.

The roundtable, attended by senior members of NSC’s expert staff, provided an important platform for Indonesian and Australian scholars and policymakers to engage in dialogue on key issues, including the evolving power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region and Indonesia's role within that context. Dean Vermonte, alongside Dr. Rizal Sukma, former Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom and senior fellow at CSIS, offered his insights on the shifting strategic landscape and how Indonesia is positioned to navigate the complexities of great power competition. 

Dean Vermonte’s contributions focused on Indonesia’s domestic political landscape and the country’s foreign policy direction as it transitions under the leadership of Prabowo Subianto. His in-depth understanding of both Indonesian and regional politics—gained from his extensive experience at CSIS and his current role at UIII—provided valuable context for understanding Indonesia’s potential diplomatic strategies and priorities moving forward. 

Dean Vermonte’s participation in the discussion highlights UIII’s growing presence in international academic and policy discussions. UIII, an emerging higher education institution in Indonesia, aims to foster scholarly exchange and contribute to global conversations on critical socio-political issues, and Dean Vermonte’s involvement in such high-level discussions further reinforces this mission.